Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-22
OUR HERITAGE.
George Alfred Townsend's Opinion OF
California and its Advantages,

George Alfred Townsend's Opinion of
California and its Advantages.
George Alfred Townsend, the we'll known
writer, at present On the Pacific coast on a
visit, has, in letter under date of the 10th
inst to the Cincinnati Enquirer, given the
result of his observations, and in which
letter he says:
am not sure that visit to the Pacific
coast at the present day will not better
answer the general needs of our American
tourists than going to Europe. Once in
Europe, there is very little nature to be
enjoyed, for one is q victim there of hotels
continually, and martyr to his baggage.
There is no place in the Old World where
man can camp out with his family. and
be exempt from intrusion and from severe
weather. Nor can an American in Europe
make any money while travelling, in the
way Of Investments and speculation. 1t
Is nothing Gu that side of the water but
spending money and suffering 4 heavy
shave IN the different kinds of currency as
they are exchanged from country to coun-
try. But not infrequently the American
who comes with his family to this new
Pacific West
EXPERIENCES THE GREATEST JOY
OF all to an Anglo-Saxon-tha Of clearing
his travelling expenses and perhaps max
ing profit by picking up ideas and the
spirit of movement from his fellow-coun-
trymen already established. On the Pa
cific coast there is SO much land and so
much good climate that town, if it were
emptled at the East of all its inhabitants,
could find altitude, scenery and game at
next to no expense. Besides there is
much Of the flavor of Europe in California:
here are Italian and French restaurants in
both the large and small towns. You get
the nearest approach to Alpine scenery in
our country in the abrupt mountains be-
tween the Sierra Nevadas and the coast.
You exl erience real change Of animal
and vegetable life; whatever is found
in Partisan restaurant is in the
San Francisco markets. If you like
a tulip artichoke, with oil dress
ing, here it is to be had They make olive
oils on this coast and wines as well as thev
make them in France and Italy Much of
the flavor of what is called the Riviera is
to be had on the high grounds overhanging
the Pacific.
THERE IS FISHING HERE,
Without any deception. Here are some
Indians, but no annoyance to anybody ex-
cept TO catch bait and run errands. As for
bits of waterfalls and yawning chasms and
queer grades and ascents of railroads, they
are to be found in every direction. We
have besides in California the inexpressi-
bic relief of no sea sickness in coming over
and Of hearing our own language pro-
nounced so that we can understand
it. You can pick up considerable
Of Asia as well as Of Europe on
this coast. | stood at the Chinese
Consuls an hour or two yesterday looking
at the big dragon being paraded, and if
there should be any more of China than
this in China proper it would probably
weary me.
Europe nowhere yields SO many kinds
of productions as California. An Eng
lishman likes apricots and plums and Eng
lish walnuts, and here they grow. In the
environs of San Francisco itself You viii
see fig trees, almond-bearing trees, live
oaks, great groves Of apricots. pears,
cheaper than elsewhere in the world,
melons, citrons and oranges. A bottle of
pure claret costs here by the keg about
ten cents. | gave q shilling, or twenty
five cents, for a single peach at Brighton.
England, in August last, and here can
buy three for nickel. | think it prob
able that a man could live in California
without meat, merely upon fruit and
wine